Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 64|,622. Y Patented lan. i6, |900. E. G. BOUTH & J. P. SPANGLE.

MAIL BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

I (Application led Ap'r. 13, 1899.) (No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 64l,622. Patented lan. I6, |900. E. G. BGOTH &KJ. P. SPANG'LE. MAILBAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

(Application led Apr. 13, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

rrnD STATES i .f IC@ EDVIN G. BOOTH AND JOHN P. SlEANGrLE, OF HOPEWELLCENTRE, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 641,622, dated January16, 1900.

Application iiled April 13, 1899. Serial No. 712,921. (No model.) l

T0 Cz/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWIN G. BOOTH and JOHN P. SPANGLE, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Hopewell Centre, in the county of Ontario andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Mail- BagCatcher and Deliverer, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers and deliverers.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for catchingmail-bags by a train in motion and delivering the same from such train.

The invention consists in the combinations hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claim. y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail-car and areceiving and delivering station, illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 isa plan showing the edge of the car and the receiving and deliveringstation as they appear after the train has passed the position shown inFig. 1, the bag from the car-having been left on stationary holder andthe bag from the stationary holder having been taken up by the catcheron the car. p Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,showing the delivering device in the car folded up within the opening ofthe car, so that the sliding door of the car may be closed. Fig. 4 is adetail section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing the delivering deviceas folded inward to position for attendant to attach a mail-bag to thesame, the dotted lines showing the same in Ithe position represented inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings for delivering a inail-bag. Fig. 5 is aperspective of the delivering device detached from the car.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the catcher arranged at the station or pointof delivery for the mail.

Our invention contemplates the use of a mail-bag having a bail or loopfor sustaining the same.

According to our invention We arrange within the door or openingin theside of a mailcar the car catching and delivering device, consisting ofa standard 1, a vibrating arm 2, pivotally connected with the standard,carrying at its outer extremity an elongated plate or holder 3. Throughthe medium of an arm 4, provided with a handle 5, the holder 3 may beswung entirely within the car, as shown in Fig. 4, and the arm maybefolded into position within the door-casing, as shown in' Fig. 3, thevarm being jointed, so that it may swing laterally to the position shownin full lines in said iigure. The arm 4, which normally swings in thesame plane with the arm 2, is so jointed that it may be turned to aplane at right angles with that of the movement of arm 2. A notch oc inthe standardl is provided, so that the arm may be swung to positionshown in Fig. 3, and in this position and condition the arm 2 is lockedor secured in vertical position. When in this position, a sliding doorinside the lining 6 of the car may be closed. ln order to secure the bagon the holder 3 and prevent its being blown off the extremity thereof,we provide a spring catch or keeper 7 and for retaining a bag which hasbeen picked up more securely purpose of this arrangement is to providefor depressing the pillar in case the track should settle or becomedepressed by a passing train. To this pillar we pivotally connect a pairof vibrating arms 11 11, each of which carries a holder 12,corresponding in form and character with the holder and catcher 3,connected with the car. 'These arms are suitably connected together, soas to be conveniently operated through the medium of a connectingrod 13,coupled with an operating-lever 14, pivoted to the post or pillar, asshown in Fig. 6. Through the operating-lever 14 the vibrating arms 11and the holders 12 may be depressed or thrown down within the reach ofan attendant for hanging a bag thereon or removing one therefrom. Theuppermost holder is provided with a spring-keeper 15,

IOO

analogous to and for the same purpose that the keeper 7 is provided forthe holder connected with the car.

In operation a mail-bag to be delivered is hung upon the upper holder 12at the station, as shown in Fig. l. As the car passes along in thedirection indicated bythe arrow the inail-bag from the ear is caught onthe lower holder l2 at the station and the inail-bag at the station iscaught by the holder on the car, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.When the train is moving in the opposite direction, the mail-bags willobviously be arranged on the opposite ends of the holders 3 and 12.

It should be noted that according to ourinvention mail-bags may becaught and delivered with the same facility on a curve that is done in astraight course. It should also be noted that by the use of mailfbagsprovided with hails such as are contemplated by this invention thecontents of the bag will be relieved to a considerable extent from theViolent shock due to the grasping of the bag around the middle thereof,as now practiced.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination of amail-car having a passage through its side, a rigid or fixed pillararranged in the passage, a holder attached to said pillar throughhorizontal pivots so as to swing in a vertical plane, a keeper attachedto the holder, and an arm jointed to the holder so as to swing laterallywhen not in use, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWIN G. BOOTH. JOHN P. SPANGLE.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. CHAPIN, GEO. N. WILLIAMS.

